Volvos hunt in packs!

There's a whole new generation of Volvo drivers and they hunt in packs... Volvo's road 'platooning' SARTRE system, or Safe Road Trains for the Environment has now been trialled for the first time on public roads.

The system allows several cars to follow a lead car in a multi-vehicle convoy without any input from the following drivers. Just like lemmings...

It works easily enough says Volvo - drivers simply initiate the software, pull in behind the lead vehicle and wait for the car to 'link' up. The next step is the interesting part, as the cars will brake, accelerate and turn automatically, drivers can take their hands off the wheel and do something else... Don a hat and slippers, perhaps smoke a pipe and gently drift off to sleep.

"People think that autonomous driving is science fiction, but the fact is that the technology is already here," says Linda Wahlström, project manager for the SARTRE project at Volvo Car Corporation.

The SARTRE system has been in development since 2009 and will be music to the ears of many drivers who dread the daily slog to work. It will give drivers a rest during the daily commute, but is claimed to reduce congestion "thanks to smooth speed control" says Volvo.

Wahlström was one of the guinea pigs for the project, as one of the first drivers to use the SARTRE system on public roads. She said drivers will have more free time to check emails, eat breakfast, read an iPad magazine or do their make-up. Perhaps even step into the rear seat and play a game of scrabble?

"They can do something else other than actual driving," she said.

"We covered 200km in one day and tried out gaps [between vehicles] from five to 15 metres. From the purely conceptual viewpoint it works fine, and the road train will be around in one form or another in the future."

Wahlström explained that the system works without any need for infrastructure upgrades and that the cars are not that different to their standard cousins.

"We've focused really hard on changing as little as possible in existing systems. Everything should function without any infrastructure changes to the roads or expensive additional components in the cars. Apart from the software developed as part of the project, it is really only the wireless network installed between the cars that sets them apart from other cars available in showrooms today."

Around 10,000km of platooned driving had already been undertaken before this first public test took place on Spanish roads. There the convoy travelled at 85km/h. It consisted of a Volvo XC60, a Volvo V60, a Volvo S60, plus one truck, all following the lead vehicle.